Applicability of the method of fundamental solutions to 3-D wave–body interaction with fully nonlinear free surface

A numerical model for three-dimensional fully nonlinear free-surface waves is developed by applying a boundary-type meshless approach with a leap-frog time-marching scheme. Adopting Gaussian Radial Basis Functions to fit the free surface, a non-iterative approach to discretize the nonlinear free-surface boundary is formulated. Using the fundamental solutions of the Laplace equation as the solution form of the velocity potential, free-surface wave problems can be solved by collocations at only a few boundary points since the governing equation is automatically satisfied. The accuracy of the present method is verified by comparing the simulated propagation of a solitary wave with an exact solution. The applicability of the present model is illustrated by applying it to the problem of a solitary wave running up on a vertical surface-piercing cylinder and the problem of wave generation in infinite water depth by a submerged moving object.